Method and system for integrating an application user interface with a digital camera user interface

• US 6,680,749 B1
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C., Vespremi, Laslo, Saylor, Steve, Mander, Amanda R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tillery, Rashawn N.
• Application Number:
  US08/965,338
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/239, 348/333-5-3, 348/552, 345/326, 345/327, 345/328, 345/339, 345/341, 345/348, 345/354, 345/357, 345/973, 358/450, 358/451, 358/452
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A method and system for providing a user interface for an application program executed in a digital imaging device, wherein the digital imaging device and the application program applies a plurality of imaging effects to captured images. The method and system include selecting one of the captured images, and automatically applying the plurality of effects to the selected image to provide a plurality of preview results. The plurality of preview results are then displayed as an aligned set of application specific items in the display along with the selected image to thereby provide a real-time preview of each type of effect applied to the selected image.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface for a digital camera having a display, a first button having a first orientation, and a second button having a second orientation, the digital camera having a plurality of captured images, the method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting one of the captured images;

b) executing an application program on the digital camera that applies a plurality of effects to the selected image to provide a plurality of real-time preview results;

c) displaying the plurality of real-time preview results as an aligned set of thumbnail images in the display to thereby provide a real-time preview of each type of effect applied to the selected image, wherein all the thumbnail images are displayed in an alignment that is mapped to the orientation of the first button to create a mapped navigation button;

d) scrolling the thumbnail images in response to a user pressing the mapped navigation button wherein the display indicates which of the thumbnail images is a currently selected effect, and wherein the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images;

e) applying the selected effect to the selected image to create a large modified thumbnail image and displaying the large modified thumbnail image in the display in a location that is offset from the aligned set of thumbnail images in a direction of orientation corresponding to that of the second button; and

f) providing the digital camera with multiple operating modes, wherein when the digital camera is in at least one of the operating modes the user navigates both the application program and the operating mode in substantially the same manner, thereby improving ease-of-use of the digital camera.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein step c) further includes the step of:

f) displaying additional information corresponding to the selected thumbnail image in the display.

3. A method for integrating a digital camera user interface with a user interface of an application program running in the digital camera, the digital camera including a display, a first button having a first orientation, and a second button having a second orientation, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the digital camera with at least two operating modes, wherein when the digital camera is placed into at least one of the operating modes, mode-specific items corresponding to that mode are displayed on the display by;

a1) displaying mode-specific items in the display such that all the mode-specific items are displayed in an alignment that is mapped to the orientation of the first button to create a mapped navigation button,

a2) scrolling the mode-specific items in response to a user pressing the mapped navigation button wherein the display indicates which of the mode-specific items is a currently selected item, and wherein the mode-specific items are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new mode-specific items;

a3) displaying additional information corresponding to the selected image in the display in a location that is offset from the active item in a direction of orientation corresponding to that of the second button;

b) executing the application program on the digital imaging device for applying a plurality of effects to a selected image stored in the digital imaging device; and

c) in response to executing the application program on the digital imaging device,

c1) automatically applying each one of the plurality of effects to the selected image to provide a plurality of real-time preview results,

c2) displaying the plurality of real-time preview results as a set of application specific items in the display such that all the application specific items are displayed in an alignment that is mapped to the orientation of the mapped navigation button,

c3) scrolling the application-specific items in response to a user pressing the mapped navigation button wherein the display indicates which of the application-specific items is a currently selected effect, and wherein the application specific items are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new application specific items,

c4) applying the selected effect to the selected image to create a large thumbnail, and

c5) displaying the large thumbnail in the display in a location that is offset from the aligned set of application-specific items in a direction of orientation corresponding to that of the second button, wherein the user navigates both the operating modes digital camera and the application program in substantially the same manner, thereby improving ease of use of the digital camera.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein step c5) further includes the of:

c5i) displaying additional information corresponding to the selected effect.

5. The method as in claim 4 further including the step of:

d) permanently applying the currently selected effect to the selected image to create a modified image.

6. The method as in claim 5 further including the step of:

providing the first button with left and a right navigation buttons having a horizontal orientation.

7. The method as in claim 6 further including the step of:

providing the second button with up and down navigation-buttons having a vertical orientation.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein step c2) further includes the step of:

c2i) displaying a set of thumbnail images as the application-specific items.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein step c3) further includes the step of:

c3i) pressing the up and down navigation buttons to fine-tune the selected effect.

10. The method as in claim 9 further including the step of loading the application program into the digital camera from a removable memory.

11. The method as in claim 10 further including the step of loading the application program into the digital camera from a network or host computer.

12. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for integrating a user interface of a digital camera having a display, a first button having a first orientation, and a second button having a second orientation, the program instructions for:

a) executing an application program on the digital camera that applies a plurality of effects to a selected image to provide a plurality of real-time preview results;

b) displaying the plurality of real-time preview results as an aligned set of thumbnail images in the display to thereby provide a real-time preview of each type of effect applied to the selected image, wherein all the thumbnail images are displayed in an alignment that is mapped to the orientation of the first button to create a mapped navigation button;

c) scrolling the thumbnail images in response to a user pressing the mapped navigation button wherein the display indicates which of the thumbnail images is a currently selected effect, and wherein the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images;

d) applying the selected effect to the selected image to create a large modified thumbnail image and displaying the large modified thumbnail image in the display in a location that is offset from the aligned set of thumbnail images in a direction of orientation corresponding to that of the second button; and

e) providing the digital camera with multiple operating modes, wherein when the digital camera is in at least one of the operating modes the user navigates both the application program and the operating mode in substantially the same manner, thereby improving ease-of-use of the digital camera.

13. The computer-readable medium as in claim 12 wherein step d) further includes program instruction for:

d) displaying additional information corresponding to the selected thumbnail image in the display.

14. A system for integrating a digital camera user interface with a user interface of an application, comprising:

an application program containing program instructions for applying a plurality of effects to digital images; and

a digital camera including,

an image device for capturing image data;

a memory coupled to the imaging device for storing the image data as captured images,

a display,

a first set of navigation buttons having a first orientation,

a second set of navigation buttons having a second orientation,

multiple operating modes for supporting a plurality of digital imaging device functions, and

a processor coupled to the image device, the memory, the display and to the first and second set of navigation buttons for controlling operation of the digital imaging device and the multiple operating modes wherein when the digital camera is placed into at least one of the operating modes, the processor displays the user interface of the digital camera by;

displaying mode-specific items corresponding to that mode such that all of the mode-specific items are displayed in an alignment that is mapped to the orientation of the first set of navigation buttons,

scrolling the mode-specific items in response to a user pressing the first set of navigation buttons wherein the display indicates which of the mode-specific items is a currently selected item, and wherein the mode-specific items are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new mode-specific items, and

displaying additional information corresponding to the selected image in the display in a location that is offset from the active item in a direction of orientation corresponding to that of the second set of navigation buttons,

wherein when the user selects one of the captured images and invokes the application program, the processor displays the user interface of the application program such that a user navigates both the operating modes and the application program in substantially the same manner by,

automatically applying each one of the plurality of effects to the selected image to provide a plurality of real-time preview results,

displaying the plurality of real-time preview results as a set of application specific items in the display such that all the application specific items are displayed in an alignment that is mapped to the orientation of first set of navigation buttons,

scrolling the application-specific items in response to the user pressing first set of navigation buttons wherein the display indicates which of the application-specific items is a currently selected effect, and wherein the application specific items are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new application specific items,

applying the selected effect to the selected image to create a large thumbnail, and

displaying the large thumbnail in the display in a location that is offset from the aligned set of application-specific items in a direction of orientation corresponding to that of the second set of navigation buttons.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first set of navigation buttons have a horizontal orientation and the second set of navigation buttons have a vertical orientation.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the preview results comprise thumbnail images.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the means responsive to the application program being loaded into the digital imaging device further includes means to display a large thumbnail representing of the first captured image.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information displayed includes an identification of the effect applied to the first image.